Les facécieuses nuicts. Avec les fables et énigmes, racontées par deux jeunes gentils-hommes, et dix damoiselles. Nouvellement traduictes d'italien en français par Jean Louveau.

2 parts in 1 vol., 12mo: 199-[3]-[2 bl.], 210 ff. (sl. browned, occ. sm. marg. damp stains, tear to f. 87 of 2nd part without loss).

Contemp. vellum, flat spine.

French translations by Jean Louveau (part I) and Pierre de Larivey (part II) of this collection of 75 tales on the model of Boccaccio's Decameron but new in including also folk and fairy tales. The setting of the books is a reunion of aristocratic men and women in Murano entertaining themselves by singing songs, dancing and telling stories. The writer Straparola (148?-155?), born in Caravaggio, is the main author but some of the stories come from other authors. Some even are from the orientalist fairy tales (such as the One Thousand and One Nights) and 23 are a word for word translation of the "Novellae" by Morlini. It was first published in Italian in 1550-1553 in 2 vol. under the title "Le piacevoli notti" and placed on the Index in 1624.
Ref. BGL II:222/223.
Prov. Bibliothek Schönborn-Bucheim (armorial shelfmark).